Sky News Arabia appoints new CEO

Angelos Frangopoulos, CEO of Australian News Channel, has been appointed to the role

UAE social media influencers face arrest after performing ‘Kiki challenge’

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said the three faced charges of “endangering the lives of others, disrupting public morals and violating the traffic laws of Abu Dhabi”

New Chinese radio station launched in Dubai

The 24-hour station, called ‘The Sound of the Dubai Dragon’, will be operated by ARN

Saudi-based Arabsat denies distributing pirated sports channel beoutQ

Last week, FIFA said it had engaged legal counsel to take action in Saudi Arabia against beoutQ

Bahrain, UAE say piracy allegations Qatari attempt to discredit Saudi

Saudi has been accused of not doing enough to stop a channel illegally broadcasting beIN Sports content from airing

Saudi denies tennis authorities’ allegation over pirated sports channel beoutQ

The complaint follows similar allegations by FIFA, European soccer body UEFA and Formula One

Arabic internet TV firm fined $24m for sports rights piracy

The owner of Sweden-based Advanced TV Network was also sentenced to two and a half years in prison

Pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat closes Beirut office

The move comes after the paper shut down its London office in January

PR firm Edelman makes further staff cuts in Dubai

The company previously laid off 20 staff in February 2017

Saudi denies UEFA charge of hosting pirated sports channel beoutQ

The European soccer federation has threatened action over beoutQ’s airing on Arabsat

Emaar to introduce 270-degree cinema at Dubai Mall

Reel Cinemas also recently introduced a dine-in cinema concept

Saudi football fans may miss out on World Cup amid Qatar broadcasting spat

Saudi’s sports authority has yet to reach a deal with Qatar’s beIN Sports to broadcast the tournament

UAE’s National Media Council reveals new system for influencer licences

Individuals can now be registered under official influencer agencies

UAE’s du confirms that beIN Sports has pulled its channels off-air in UAE

The reason for the sudden pullout by the Qatar-based broadcaster was not clear

MBC chairman allowed to travel to Dubai after Saudi detention

Waleed al-Ibrahim was detained in November as part of Saudi’s anti-graft purge

Sony to acquire EMI stake from Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala for $1.9bn

EMI owns or administers more than two million songs from artists including Queen, Kanye West and Drake

Saudi to target young population with new TV channel

SBC will begin broadcasting this week

IMAX plans up to 100 Saudi cinema screens

IMAX is in talks with Vox, AMC and other operators to open new screens in the kingdom

Saudi culture authority signs film deal with IMAX

The two organisations aim to support the kingdom’s blossoming film industry

Music streaming app Spotify eyes Middle East launch

Reports suggest the company hopes to launch UAE services by year-end

UAE’s Majid Al Futtaim opens Saudi’s first IMAX cinema

The company plans to open hundreds more screens in the kingdom over the next five years

UAE council members call for influencer crackdown

The UAE issued a new law governing influencers in February

Dubai denies Moroccan actress died in the city

Media reports had indicated Wiam Al Dhamani passed away in the emirate

Dubai’s Vox to open cinema in Riyadh in “coming days”

The deeply conservative Muslim kingdom is ending a nearly 40-year ban on commercial cinemas

Dubai’s film festival cancels 2018 event

The event organiser has announced a change of strategy moving forward

Qatari owner of Novo Cinemas plans to sell theatres in UAE, Bahrain

The planned transaction highlights moves to decouple cross-border businesses in the GCC after the Qatar boycott

Facebook CEO warns of propaganda “arms race”, vows to prevent election interference

The billionaire’s words followed a scandal involving British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica

Pictures: Dubai’s Emaar launches Middle East’s first dine-in cinema

Emaar plans to roll out the experience to three of its Reel Cinemas locations

Saudi Arabia’s first new cinema in decades to open in April

AMC’s first cinema will be located in the King Abdullah Financial District

Saudi launches official film council

The kingdom lifted a 35-year ban on cinemas at the start of 2018